Back To School Night Notes

Tonight was the back to school night for the 1st and 2nd grade classes. Here is a run-down of what was discussed, for those of you who weren’t able to make it.

Communication Methods:

There are several methods for communication from advisors to parents:

- Class blogs
- Student Mailboxes (please check your student’s box – right outside the classroom – for various communications from advisors and from the school).
- Conferences, which are held in November and March (for those of you new to Trillium, the students are included in the conferences)
- Report Cards, which come out in February and June
- You can always schedule additional meetings with your child’s teacher, as well
- And, of course, your liaisons!! (Susan & Leigh Ann)

Volunteers:

There was some discussion about volunteer opportunities. Your friendly neighborhood liaisons will be contacting you soon about volunteer opportunities for our class. Some options may include help with Math and Literacy in the morning, help with Reading or Writing Workshops, supervising students before school from 8:15-8:30, field trip drivers or chaperones, general help with the class such as making copies or running errands, or help keeping the classroom clean, organized, and in good repair.

All volunteers must fill out a form for a criminal background check. These forms must be turned in to the office before you may volunteer with students in any capacity, including field trip driver or chaperone. The forms are available at the front desk. *If you turned in a background check form last year, you do not need to turn in another form.*

Some help will be needed for the sleep under and the first field trip (see below).

In the meantime, if you would like to provide healthy snacks for a school staff meeting (held every Friday afternoon, about 25 people), Susan is organizing those volunteers, and I'm sure she’d love to have your help.

Sleep Under:

The Sleep Under is being held on Thursday October 1. It is from 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. This event is for students only, not for whole families. However, some parent volunteers would be helpful. There will be pizza for dinner, a talent show, crafts, games, and dancing. The students will go home at 8:30, and return the next morning for breakfast at school, beginning at 8:15. Breakfast will be on-going, so you do not need to be there right at 8:15. Some volunteers for the breakfast would also be helpful.

Food Allergies:

There will be a form available to let the advisors know of any food allergies prior to the sleep under.

Writing Curriculum:

The classes are using the book About the Authors for writing focus. The students have been making books in class.

The advisors ask that we all encourage our children to write, and to use inventive spelling. This allows the students to write more without any added stress about whether or not their words are spelled correctly. The students will be given the conventional spelling for their story as part of the entire writing process, but it will come at the end, after the story is complete.

Reading Curriculum:

The classes are using the Reading Workshop curriculum. Reading at home is important, and there are forms for keeping track of what is read at home. Strong readers “read every night, and read everything in sight!” The Readinga-z.com website is an excellent resource. We will get the log-on information for Whitney’s class to you asap.

Math Curriculum:

Investigations is the curriculum foundation. The advisors handed out a sheet of various math games that can be played at home, such as playing a version of Go Fish where the object is to find two cards that add up to 10, rather than two cards that match (the game uses only cards A-9, no 10's, Jacks, Queens, or Kings). There is a focus on the fluency of working with small numbers, and on trying to attach math to real life objects, rather than abstract concepts.

The students may have mentioned their “number talks”. This is where an equation is written on the board, and the students are given tools to help them solve the equation. Each student tries to solve the problem on his or her own, and gives a private signal to the teacher when they have solved it. This way, the other students can continue solving the problem.

Other Information:

The first field trip will be to the World Forestry Center. There is no firm date, yet, so more information will be coming on that soon. Transportation will be by Max, but some parent chaperone help will be needed.